Hidden Depths
by SakataShi
Summary: AU in a University setting. DateSana rated M for language and eventual BL "Sighing and pouting isn't going to get you out of this Date. Suck it up and while you're at it, man up!"
1. Chapter 1

Masamune exhaled as he watched the smoke slowly float upwards, mingling with the grey cloud curling from the rolled cigarette burning in his fingers. Fuck. This place was so fucking annoying. He scowled irritably as he pushed the volume control up to the max on his iPod, trying to drown out the inane chatter and general excitement of his fellow house mates. Fucking losers. He scanned the room quickly with his one good eye, inwardly cursing the racket he could still hear over the music playing loudly down his ears.

"Oi! Date! Oi!"

Masamune glanced sideways, reluctant to respond to Motochika's persistent bellows. The bastard could see that he was clearly listening to music. What the fuck did he expect? He whipped his headphones off suddenly, his mouth curling into an angry snarl as a cushion connected heavily with the back of his head "What the fuck?! You have a fucking death wish?!" he yelled as he whirled around to glare at his house mate "What?! What do you want?!"

Motochika raised his eyebrows playfully, completely ignoring the intimidating aura emanating from the smaller boy before him "Your turn bro" he smirked confidently, jerking his head towards the console control resting in his hands "Kei said if you beat him, foods on him tonight. Plus you need to do something about that snarl, you're turning my milk sour" he grinned reaching for one of his seemingly bottomless bowls of cereal.

Masamune sighed irritably as he snatched the controller and slumped down onto the floor next to Keiji "Whatever" he muttered from the corner of his mouth, balancing his cigarette on his bottom lip

"Make sure you win. We're broke remember?" Motochika sighed, flopping down onto the sofa and taking advantage of the extra room since Masamune had moved "Some of us have to pay for our food you know Kei, we're not all lucky bastards who get to sneak away for home cooked meals 3 times a day"

"Yeah, yeah" Keiji laughed playfully over his shoulder "Bitch please! Don't hate coz you ain't"

"Can we cut the small talk and get this shit over and done with?" Masamune growled "I've got a shit load of work I need to get through" he added sullenly

"Ok Ok princess. What the hell has crawled up your ass?" Keiji cried as began to push buttons furiously, his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth as he tried to concentrate on the game at hand "I thought you had everything down this semester?"

"You shitting me? I have myself covered, I have to do extra tutoring for some ass hole from first year who is flunking nearly every damn subject there is" Masamune replied as he mirrored Keiji's concentration "As if I haven't got anything better to do with my fucking time!"

Motochika propped himself up on his elbow in order to gaze at the back of his friends head "Why do you have to do something like that?" he asked, genuinely confused by the revelation. Date Masamune was athletic, clever and popular, but despite these attributes he wasn't exactly a model student. Motochika could think of plenty of better candidates for such a role, himself included!

"That old bastard Takeda is making me do it. That old fart has it in for me I swear to God" Masamune replied gruffly "One of his precious little soccer stars is close to getting thrown out on his ass unless he does some serious grade restructuring. And yours truly is top of Old Man Takeda's enemy list for some reason!"

"Well you did organise that halls party last month" Keiji sang thoughtfully

"And then there was that time you scratched his car when you took my bike out without telling me" Motochika added

"And when he paid that dude to steal the soccer teams uniforms and dye them pink" Keiji called over his shoulder

"All right! This isn't my fucking trial and execution! That bastard is just over reacting!" Masamune interrupted before his friends could remember any more of his past actions "The point is that I have a shit load more work to do and it's not even going to benefit me!"

Motochika and Keiji exchanged a knowing glance between them. It wasn't going to benefit any of them if Masamune was going to be in such a foul mood for the foreseeable.

* * *

"Aaaggggghhhhhh! Why does this have to be so difficult!" Yukimura cried as he threw his pencil across the room before instantly standing to retrieve it "Why won't it just sink in Sasuke?!" he whimpered pathetically as he slumped down over the table once more

Sasuke scratched his nose thoughtfully and continued to thumb through the magazine resting in his lap "I have no idea. English isn't exactly one of my strong points" he smiled sympathetically "Anyway, is your English module even that important?" he added glancing at his friend for the first time "Won't your other grades pull your average up?"

Yukimura blushed and fidgeted sheepishly "...Well... it's not just my English" he mumbled in embarrassment "That's just the worst one"

"Well how about you find someone to help you out?" Sasuke replied cheerfully. His face instantly lit up as the door opened and Kasuga swayed into the room, her hair hanging damp around her shoulders "I'm sure the lovely Kasuga is as good at English as she is as looking beautiful" he grinned, watching the girl open the refrigerator and take a long drink of juice "She's so good at everything"

"No can do Sarutobi. My schedule is busy enough as it is without wasting my time with you two losers" Kasuga called bluntly, heading towards the door once more "But you're right about me being good about everything" she shrugged casually before slipping out of the room

Yukimura shot a defeated glance at his friend "See! Even my fellow house mates can't help me out of this situation!" he cried dramatically "Sasuke! Are you even listening to me?!" he sighed as his friend continued to smile at the spot where Kasuga had recently stood

"She wants me. She wants me bad" Sasuke smirked before turning his attention back to his magazine, completely oblivious to Yukimura's depressed slump across the table.

* * *

"Sighing and pouting isn't going to get you out of this Date. Suck it up and while you're at it, man up!"

Masamune's eye widened is shock as he glanced sideways at the towering teacher beside him "Did I even say anything?!" he replied childishly

"You didn't have to" Shingen retorted gruffly "Now sit tight and don't say anything to offend the boy. I don't want your bad behaviour rubbing off on this one"

"Hah...?" Masamune sighed half heartedly "Why force me to tutor him then? I'm sure your little soccer star deserves the finest education in the land! God knows this place likes to pamper their precious princess players!" he added sullenly from the corner of his mouth.

Shingen shot Masamune a menacing glare "Enough! That's exactly the kind of attitude I'm talking about... Yukimura is somewhat impressionable. You'd be out on your ear if it wasn't for your skill with the English language. It's tutoring or expulsion! Take your pick"

Masamune pouted and kicked at the ground. Shit he hated being lectured like this. Especially from this pain in the ass. But he couldn't risk expulsion, 2 years of studying his ass off would go straight down the drain and the lecture that he'd receive from Kojuro would be worse than helping some thick football freak study for a few weeks. He glanced up at the sound of an excited yell cutting through the awkward silence "Takeda Senseiii! You called for me?" He eyed the boy now running towards them; his face was plastered with the most idiotic smile that Masamune had ever seen. What was with this kid? He looked liked the type to get hyper from drinking one can of Coke. He'd probably pass out from even looking at a beer... how the hell was he supposed to be around someone this wet for the foreseeable future? He'd have to kiss his social life goodbye...

"Ah Yukimura, just in time! I have someone I'd like you to meet" Shingen smiled as the boy bounded to a halt before them "This here is Date. He's a second year who is going to help you perfect your English so you'll be able to play next season"

"Ah?! Really Sir?" Yukimura yelled excitedly "Oh thank you! It's a pleasure to meet you Date San! My name is Sanada Genjiro Yukimura! Thank you so much for agreeing to help me out in my time of need! It's much appreciated!"

Masamune's shoulder's lurched back and forth as Yukimura furiously shook his hand "Wh-whatever" he muttered gruffly, snatching his hand away from the firm grip "It's not like I have much choice" he sighed, rubbing his neck as he looked away

"Well, I'll leave you two to it" Shingen smiled, patting Yukimura's shoulder affectionately "You have six weeks to pull Yukimura's grade from an E to at least a B" he called over his shoulder to Masamune, making a hasty retreat before the boy had the opportunity to protest.

Masamune stared slack jawed at the retreating teacher. Six weeks? E to B? He knew he was good at English but he wasn't a damn miracle worker! He quickly turned to the boy beside him "From E to B? Is he serious? How old are you? Seven? How can your English suck so much that you're averaging an E for fuck sake?!"

Yukimura blushed and looked down at his feet "I've tried my best. I give 110% in everything I do but for some reason I just cannot succeed when it comes to English. But I'm sure with your guidance and expertise in this field, I'll succeed for sure!" he added as he looked up and clenched his fist in determination

Masamune grimaced as he glanced at the kid. Considering he sucked at English he sure used some flowery language. Six weeks of this...? He hoped stupid wasn't contagious.

* * *

Masamune gritted his teeth as he noticed the kid nervously glance across the table at him for the millionth time "What?! What's your problem?" he spat in annoyance

Yukimura blushed and looked away "It's just... ummm... I mean... what you're doing... is that... are you doing drugs?" he whispered nervously, now refusing to look in Masamune's direction at all "This is a public place, you could get into some serious trou-" he frowned in confusion as Masamune's laughter cut his lecture short

"Pfffft, are you for real?" Masamune snorted, holding up the freshly rolled cigarette between his fingers. He blinked a few times as he tried to read the blank look on Yukimura's face "No way. Sanada this is tobacco. Can you seriously be this stupid?" he added, tossing his packet of smoking tobacco across the desk in Yukimura's direction "You think I'd roll a joint in a library? Hahahahaha, man where the hell are you even from?"

Yukimura's blush intensified as he glanced between the packet and Masamune's sneering face "W-well any form of smoking is bad for your health. You should look after you body more!" he spluttered

"Shhhhhh!" the librarian hissed loudly from behind her desk "Be quiet and take your cigarettes elsewhere young man! This is a library, not a meeting place for delinquents!"

Yukimura's face fell in utter dismay he as looked at the tobacco package in his hands "N-no! This isn't mine! I'm sorry! Really, this has nothing to do with me! I've never even held a cigarette in my life! I swear! I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!" he cried, beseeching the now seething librarian, oblivious to the loudness of his own voice and the annoyed glares from his fellow students who he was unwittingly disturbing

Masamune sighed as he closed his books and started packing them away into his backpack "Chill out Sanada. You're 18" he added as he stood "We can call it a day anyway, I'm hungry"

"Uuh... OK..." Yukimura stammered, hurriedly stacking his books "When will our next session be?" he asked, walking quickly as he tried to catch up

"Session?" Masamune stopped on the steps, clasping his hands around the end of his cigarette as he tried to light it "I dunno. If you're going to get this miracle B then you're going to have to put the hours in" he stated as he tugged sharply on the cigarette, his one good eye locking Yukimura on the spot "Which means I'm going to have to give up my free time too" he sighed in annoyance, exhaling a large cloud of smoke upwards. He glanced at the boy beside him who was remaining strangely quiet. He looked like any average teenager, there was nothing particularly striking about him. He was the plain old jeans, t-shirt and Converse kind of kid that you saw on every bus, in every fast food restaurant and in every classroom. The only odd attribute was the long pony tail that trailed down the length of Yukimura's back. It looked strangely out of place with the rest of his bland image. Not to say that the kid was ugly or anything, he looked like the type that girls would either take advantage of or simply want to mother. The guy had probably never even held a conversation with a girl in his entire life. Masamune's eye twitched as the boy suddenly looked up, his huge brown eyes shone with determination making his whole face and demeanour somewhat different, a look of sheer will power emanated from him that almost demanded respect. Masamune found it both surprising and intriguing "OK... tomorrow. I'll meet you here at say... 10am tomorrow?" his gaze still transfixed by those strikingly fierce eyes

Yukimura's face suddenly returned to it's usual cheerful expression "Tomorrow is perfect! Thank you so much Date San! I will make sure I am here at 10am!" he waved frantically over his shoulder as he raced down the steps "See you tomorrow!"

Masamune shook is head as he descended down the steps slowly. What the hell was with that kid? And why did he have to be his damn babysitter...

* * *

"Where the hell have you been all day?" Sasuke cried as Yukimura let himself into their flat "You said you were only going to meet up with Takeda Sensei and that was this morning!" the boy added, his protective nature taking over as he fussed after him. It had been the same since childhood. Whenever Yukimura had found himself in a scrape, Sasuke had always been there to bail him out. After years of being best friends, Sasuke had come to realise that the kind yet dimwitted Yukimura was easily distracted and therefore easily found himself in trouble.

"Oh... sorry Sasuke. I did meet up with Sensei, but that's the thing!" he beamed proudly, hanging his thick winter coat on the back of the door "He has found me a private tutor to help me with my English! Isn't that great?!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and flopped back down onto the couch "Yeah. Great news. Next time would it kill you to let me know that you're... I don't know... alive?"

"How creepy, what are you his mother or something?" Kasuga called flatly as she concentrated on delicately painting her toenails

"You worry too much Sasuke!" Yukimura laughed, flopping down onto a large beanbag "Anyway, I'll be out a lot more over the next few weeks. I'm meeting up with Date San tomorrow morning in fact... I guess I should get an early night..." he trailed off, glancing at the clock

"It's 5pm! Anyway... did you say Date? As in Date Masamune?" Kasuga asked in surprise, looking up for the first time

"Yeah! You know him?" Yukimura smiled enthusiastically

"Pffft, yeah I know him. I was in the same English class as him last year. Granted, he happens to be good, but why the hell would someone like him be tutoring?" she shrugged as she lost interest and returned to her nail painting once more

Sasuke frowned as he looked between his two house-mates "Why? What's the deal with this guy?"

"He's an arrogant ass hole!" Kasuga laughed

"I don't know. He seems kind of cool to me" Yukimura smiled, a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks

"Really? Your definition of cool is obviously different to mine!" the girl sniffed, not even bothering to look at her companions anymore. She had lost all interest if the topic of discussion was Date Masamune of all people.

Sasuke remained quiet as he watched Yukimura, that slight smile and blush still remaining on his face.

* * *

"Dude! You're back! Come play me!" Keiji cried without tearing his gaze away from the screen "I've unlocked like six new characters already" he added in excitement as Masamune let himself into the flat

Masamune pushed a small cluster of junk aside in order to make enough room to sit down on the couch next to his friend "I thought you had class today? You been here since this morning?" he asked, his eye wandering around the empty bowls and instant noodle cartons littered around Keiji's vicinity "You're going to be a student forever at this rate, aren't you sick of it already?"

"Pffft! Are you kidding me? Who the hell wants to grow up and become part of the rat race called life?! I'm developing my heart and soul here man. Freedom is the best way to train your mind, not from some professor lecturing out of a text book!" Keiji replied, his eyes still firmly planted on the flashing screen before them

"You're the only hippy I know who spends all day killing" Masamune laughed nodding towards the computer game "You want tea?" he asked as he rose to his feet

"Huh? Oh... no. I don't know how you can drink that crap all day"

"... It keeps me awake" Masamune replied filling the kettle "Is Mo in?"

"...Dunno" Keiji shrugged, finally setting the controller down and looking at Masamune for the first time "Anyway, where have you been all day? I thought your lectures had already finished for this semester... who is she and why are you hiding her from us?" he pouted, stuffing his hands into his huge woollen jacket and skulking towards the kitchen

"Nothing of the sort man. It's that tutoring crap that old bastard Takeda has me doing. I'm going to be stuck doing that for the next few weeks while you lazy bastards get to sit at home and play games all day"

"But we're such loveable lazy bastards!" Motochika yawned as he appeared from the hallway wearing nothing but a vest and boxers shorts. He ran a hand through his tousled hair as he headed towards his friends, his scarred left eye remained closed and exposed and his one good eye squinted slightly; a sure sign that he had just woke up

Masamune stared blankly at his friend "My point exactly. Here I am babysitting some backwards brat while Kei plays games all day and you're only just dragging yourself out of bed at..." he craned his neck around to glance at the clock on the microwave "5.10pm!"

Motochika waved his hand up and down in playful dismissal "You reap what you sow Masa-Chan. You got yourself into Takeda's bad books. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time" he grinned as he filled a gigantic bowl full of cereal

"You're so full of wisdom. Please teach me more of your valuable clichés"

"In time young one. I don't want to overload your human brains with too much of my genius all at once" Motochika sang quietly as he closed his eyes "Who will help me pay the rent if your heads explode?"

"My head will fucking explode soon enough anyway" Masamune pouted as he perched on one of the tall kitchen stools "This kid is something else. He's like straight out of a Disney film or something. He actually thought my smokes were pot before"

"Pffft. Awww. Sweet" Motochika laughed through a mouthful of cereal "Oh by the way, Katakura was looking for you before. I said you'd give him a call" he added, pointing his spoon in Masamune's direction

Masamune frowned as he checked his phone "Kojuro... what did he want?"

_**Well hello and welcome to my first BASARA fic - I hope it has been to your liking so far. Sorry if the bad language has offended anyone - but this is literally like writing about people I know in RL. All students are scarily similar! All reviews bring me joy! I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks for reading :3**_


	2. Chapter 2

Kojuro clasped his hands around the paper coffee cup and continued to watch Masamune

"What?" Masamune huffed, fidgeting with the lid on his own cup

Kojuro rolled his eyes and sighed "You know what Masamune, you can't keep this up, do you know how many strings I've already had to pull to keep your ass safe?!"

"... yeah yeah..." Masamune sighed biting down on his thumbnail and gazing out of the window

"No, I don't think you understand, I'm in no position to start pissing off the staff. I worked my ass off to get a job here and I don't need to jeopardise my own career just so you can prick about with your buddies" Kojuro snapped before taking a sip of his hot drink "Do you know how long it took me to convince Takeda to agree to this tutoring deal? Seriously, you're not even on thin ice any more, you're already treading frozen water!"

Masamune withdrew his hand away from his mouth and looked at Kojuro fiercely "I get it Kojuro! I've already agreed to this tutoring shit, I don't need another lecture!"

Kojuro exhaled slowly as he looked down at the table separating them. It was strange being in a situation like this. Their friendship had had to deal with a very sudden and drastic change. They were no longer fellow students, carefree and able hang out whenever they so wished. Kojuro had slaved for the past five years of his life in order to land his dream job as a teacher. It just so happened that he had networked and rubbed shoulders with the right people and was fortunate enough... or unfortunate enough as the case may be, to end up working at the very University he had graduated from "I'm just saying I can't keep bailing you out. I've got to think about my own moves from now on..." he glanced up at his friend awkwardly. He hated having to lecture Masamune in such a way, but the guy needed reigning in. He had the brains and talent to do whatever the hell he wanted but he wasted too much of his time playing the fool

"...I get it. Sorry man. I appreciate you looking out for me and all but it's sorted, OK?" Masamune sighed, his voice and face now much calmer "No more fuck ups. I promise"

* * *

"Brrrrr, it's sooo cold" Keiji whimpered as he snuffled his face further into his upturned collar "Why is it so cold?!"

Masamune glanced at his friend "This is called the morning Keiji. It's a special time of day when the sun hasn't been in the sky long enough to warm your ass. Anyway, I have no idea why you're up and about, did you piss the bed or something?" he asked as they trudged along the leaf strewn pathway, the red and brown foliage glistened slightly with a thin layer of frost

Keiji yawned loudly before shuddering with cold once more "I have one last paper due in, may as well get it done while I'm still awake" he shrugged "Plus I want to catch a glimpse of your little study buddy" he grinned, nudging his large shoulder into Masamune's playfully

"Well..." Masamune started as he looked ahead "You're in for a treat" he nodded in the direction of the library steps "Looks like Einstein's already here"

"Ah, Date San! Good morning!" Yukimura cried as he noticed the two boys approach him. He dusted off his jeans and quickly sprung to his feet from where he had been perched on the steps "Ah, hello, I don't believe we've met" he smiled warmly in Keiji's direction "I'm Sanada Genjiro Yukimura"

Keiji gave a quick glance in Masamune's direction, who stood slouched, his one good eye seemed to be boring a hole through Yukimura's head. Wow he hadn't been exaggerating about the Disney stuff... "Uhhh, hey man, I'm Maeda Keiji! Masa's room mate" he grinned in return, accepting Yukimura's outstretched hand "So, you're the poor guy who has to be stuck with him for the next few weeks?" he joked playfully, jabbing a thumb in Masamune's direction "Make sure he has plenty of cigarette breaks or he'll turn into an even bigger bitch than he already is"

Yukimura blushed slightly and looked between Masamune's unimpressed snarl and Keiji's grinning face "I... urrr... th-that is fine with me. I-I mean I really appreciate you offering your free time to help me. I brought enough lunch today so you don't get hungry, it's the least I can do" he mumbled awkwardly as he slung his backpack from his shoulder and rooted around in it

"... You don't have to do that" Masamune sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. This was too embarrassing. Why did this kid act as though they were on some sort of picnic date? And why did Keiji have to be here to see it?!

Keiji gave an almost inaudible squeak as he watched Yukimura fumble about "Masa! Can we keep him?" he whispered to his house mate from the corner of his mouth, his eyes shining as if he were looking at a puppy

"Piss off" Masamune muttered in reply, skulking past his friend and heading up the steps towards the library entrance, Yukimura bounding awkwardly behind him.

Keiji grinned as he watched the two boys disappear behind the large glass doors and quickly retrieved his mobile phone from his back pocket, his thumb moving quickly across the screen as he typed out a text message. Mornings weren't so bad after all...

* * *

"No no no no, you can't apply the same rules as you do with Japanese. English uses future tense, your modal verbs make no sense at all here"

Yukimura furrowed his brow in confusion and bit down on his pencil "Urr... modal verbs..." he muttered, his eyes staring intently at his scruffy handwriting. He sniffed in disappointment as Masamune reached over and circled all of his mistakes. Why wasn't any of this going in...?

"See? Here needs to have a future tense" Masamune stated as he pointed to the page once more. He glanced at Yukimura's face and felt a slight twinge of sympathy for the boy. Man. It must suck balls to be stupid. "Check your notes from this morning and try it again" he sighed in frustration and sat back in his chair as Yukimura intently pawed through the pages of notes he had jotted down over the past few hours. This seriously sucked balls. Massive, hairy dog balls. He shifted his hips up and reached for his phone as it vibrated briefly in his back pocket. His eye lingered over the screen for a few seconds before quickly scanning the surrounding area. It didn't take him long before he noticed Keiji and Motochika peeking over the back of their swivel chairs from across the room. He felt his lip curl in annoyance as he watched Keiji produce a set of Mickey Mouse ears from God knows where and place them on Motochika's head, the silver haired boy grinning stupidly and swaying his head from side to side, their over the top facial expressions and grins aimed towards the concentrating Yukimura "Oi" Masamune nudged the boy gently "Why don't you go take a ten minute coffee break or something. It'll never sink in unless you step away from time to time" he suggested encouragingly, trying to keep Yukimura's attention in case he noticed the two idiots mocking them

"R-really?" Yukimura cried enthusiastically, his face lighting up at the thought of escaping. Date San was considerate of his feelings after all!

"Yeah, I'll wait here. Save our seats. It's not like I'm having to concentrate much so I don't mind" Masamune replied as he glanced and the two stupid bastards across the room from the corner of his eye "See you back here in ten"

Yukimura scraped his chair back loudly and rose to his feet "Thank you Date San!" he smiled brightly before quickly heading towards the exit

Masamune leant his head back and waited until the kid was out of sight before raising his middle finger in his house-mates direction. He slouched down in his seat and waited for his friends to finally approach him "What the hell is this about?" he snapped irritably "Like I haven't got enough on my plate babysitting one moron without you two showing up"

"Awww, I wanted to see your new friend. Kei told me how cute he is and I got jealous that I was missing out on all the fun!" Motochika laughed, flopping down into Yukimura's seat "Wooooo" he whistled as he glanced at the boys notes "Man, he really is bad at English hah?"

"No shit Sherlock. Now if you don't mind, could you two kindly piss off?"

"But I haven't met him yet!" Motochika pouted "I want to meet the guy who is stealing my little Masa-Chan away from me!"

"Tch, seriously you're starting to piss me off, and take those fucking things off!" Masamune hissed as he whipped off the plastic ears that were still sitting on top of his friends head "Kei, get him out of here would ya? I'm getting a fucking headache!" he pleaded with Keiji, who was standing behind them

"S'free country" Keiji laughed, stuffing his hands into his pockets and rocking back and forth on his heels, making no attempt at all to leave "Come on dude, lighten up, it's not that bad is it? He seems kind of sweet"

Masamune rubbed his head in despair "Yeah and we all know how much a fucking sweet tooth I have hah? Seriously guys, I'm not in the mood, we have a ton of shit to get through and – Oh my God will you put that down!" he snapped as he snatched away the pencil that Motochika was currently balancing on his upper lip "Fuck sake, you're like a couple of three year olds!"

"What's the problem hah? You on your period again?" Motochika snapped back defensively. Masamune had two very different and very distinct personalities; the party animal and the ass hole. Unfortunately of late they had been stuck with the latter "Come on man, it's almost the end of semester, this is the best time of year! Where's my 'let's party' Masamune?! I miss him!"

"I swear to God you two..." Masamune sighed, the last of what little patience he had left now reduced to nothing. He glared at his friends in turn, making sure his one good eye burned with enough contempt to make the idiots see that he was simply not in the mood for their shit right now. He bit his bottom lip in annoyance – there was one way to get the bastards off his back, at least for now "... Come back later, you can meet him then, although I have no idea why you want to so badly..."

"Seriously?!" Keiji exclaimed a little too loudly. He quickly buried his face inside his upturned collar as the librarian shot a warning glare from across the room "You're not lying to us are you...?" he sang teasingly, ruffling Masamune's hair affectionately

"PISS OFF!" Masamune yelled as he swatted his friends hand away

"That is it! I've had quite enough of you disturbing the other students. Out. All of you. Leave at once" the librarian bristled as she made her way around the large desk and towards the three friends

"Uh-oh" Motochika muttered, standing quickly "Time to go" he added as he nudged Keiji quickly before speeding towards the exit

Masamune spun around in his chair and seethed as his two friends abandoned him to the wrath of the angry librarian "Fucking ass holes" he muttered at their retreating backs

"Young man! I said leave!"

Masamune turned slowly in his chair and glared up at the fussing woman now standing before him. He let out a heavy sigh before he began packing his books away, making every movement deliberate and sure that it took as much time as humanely possible. Great. How was he supposed to get Boy Wonder his miracle B grade now?

* * *

Yukimura bounded up the steps cheerfully. Studying English under Date San's watchful gaze was certainly challenging, but it felt rewarding all the same. Perhaps he could pull this one off after all? Takeda Sensei would be so surprised when he - "Oooof" His excited predictions were quite literally knocked out of him as he collided head first into what felt like an armoured tank moving at great speed. He winced in embarrassment as he lost his balance and ungracefully fell on his backside, the cup of coffee he had bought for Masamune now a pathetic puddle on the ground next to him. He thought for the first time ever how fortunate it was that the University coffee was always luke warm at best as it soaked into his jeans...

"Ah! Sorry about that! Are you OK?"

Yukimura opened one eye and looked up at what he had thought was the great big tank that had knocked him off his feet. He wasn't far off with that assumption... the boy towering over him was huge! His height and broad shoulders were certainly impressive, it was obvious that the guy excelled at some sort of sport or was a body building enthusiast. The face that looked back into his own was what had surprised Yukimura the most. The eyes... or eye as the case was that was gazing into his own burned with concern, the rest of his handsome features set as equally worried as he surveyed Yukimura "I-I'm... please forgive me..." Yukimura stuttered in embarrassment as he tried to scramble to his feet "I was not looking where I was going" he apologised once more. His eyes widened in surprise as the large boy grabbed hold of his arm and yanked Yukimura to his feet with little effort

"It was my fault – are you OK?" the boy pressed once more

"Oi, Mo! You loser, are you scared of that old lady librarian or something?"

Yukimura recognised the new voice and tried to crane his neck around the large boy before him who still had hold of his arm and was continuing to gaze at Yukimura with a look of guilt and concern.

"I have like seven books I haven't returned since first year. She'll cut my balls off and use that little date stamp on them if she catches me!" the boy replied over his shoulder "That witch made me knock this poor kid over – I'm sorry man. You sure you're OK?"

"Hah..?" Keiji sighed as he poked his head over the silver haired boy's shoulder "Ah! Yukimura! How's it goin' buddy" he grinned, resting his chin on his friend's colossal shoulder

"Ah? Yukimura..?" Motochika repeated as he turned his attentions back to the smaller boy "Date's Yukimura? Oh yeah!"

"Dude, we were just looking at him like five minutes ago" Keiji sighed dramatically, his chin still leaning on Motochika's shoulder "I thought you were supposed to be smart"

Motochika grinned "Don't be cruel to the visually impaired Kei"

Yukimura glanced between the two large boys. Despite their size they both seemed incredibly friendly and easy going. He wasn't quite sure what they had meant by "just looking at him five minutes ago" but the nature of the pair was very amiable and Yukimura felt comfortable around them. "Hi Maeda San. I'm fine thank you" he grinned back, the smiles of the two boys before him seemed infectious despite the fact that his right leg was now soaked with tepid coffee and his poor backside would no doubt be bruised by tomorrow

"I'm really sorry about that again" the silver haired boy grinned "My name's Chosokabe Motochika, pleased to meet you"

Yukimura's shoulder lurched back and forth as Motochika grabbed his hand and shook vigorously "P-pleased to meet you Chosokabe San" he stuttered

"Call me Motochika. Or Mo. Everyone does"

Yukimura opened his mouth to reply when an angry snarl cut in before he had the chance to do so

"Oi! Tweedle fucking Dumb and Tweedle fucking Dumber!" Yukimura watched in quiet fascination as his two new acquaintances shot a knowing glance at each other before turning around in the direction that the angry growl had come from "You absolute ass holes! You could have fucking helped me carry all of the shit out of there first before you bailed on me!" All eyes now fell on an enraged Masamune, his arms full of books, two backpacks hanging loosely from his narrow shoulders and an unlit cigarette stuck to his bottom lip "That bitch has kicked me out and it's all your fucking fault!" He hissed as he stalked over towards his friends. His snarl melted into mild confusion as he neared and finally registered Yukimura's baffled presence. Great. All three idiots were together...

"It's not our fault! You're the one that shouted!" Keiji laughed as he took the books from the smaller boys arms "Now smoke that cigarette before you burst a vein or something"

"Date San... we can't go back inside?" Yukimura asked hesitantly. Date seemed to be in an even more of a fowl mood than ever... he was secretly glad that Keiji and Motochika were there with him...

"Hah?" Masamune snapped as he tried to light the end of his cigarette "Yeah. You can blame these two idiots" He sighed in satisfaction as he eventually pulled deeply on the rolled cigarette and exhaled the smoke upwards. His eye wandered to the brainless idiot before him. What the hell was that all over his leg... "Anyway, looks like we're going to have to call it a day. Can't be helped if there is nowhere to study" he shrugged a bony shoulder nonchalantly and took another sharp pull on his cigarette

"Oh... I see..." Yukimura looked down at his feet awkwardly. Damn. Just when he was starting to feel a little more confident...

"Oi, just use the flat" Motochika chipped in, ignoring the silent death glare from Masamune "Like Masa-Chan said, it's our fault that you guys got kicked out. You shouldn't have to cut your study date short just because of us, right Kei?" he added, nudging Keiji in the ribs

"Date? Fuck off. I had better trips to the dentist than this" Masamune replied bluntly. He shot a quick glance in Yukimura's direction and felt a faint niggle of guilt for having been so blunt about their arrangement. The kid hadn't asked for any of this after all. It wasn't his fault he had been born so stupid. "But I guess it can't be helped. That OK with you Sanada Yukimura? You don't mind having to sit in a room that smells like Keiji's socks to get your miracle B do ya?" Yukimura immediately shot his head up and locked gazes with Masamune, that weird hint of determination flashed behind his big puppy dog eyes once again caused Masamune to begrudgingly admire the kid's spirit.

"Of course Date San! I-if that is alright with Chosokabe San and Maeda San of course..." he added nervously

Motochika grinned and opened his mouth to speak before Masamune waved his cigarette and butted in "Don't worry about these morons. It doesn't concern them seeing as they'll be out for the rest of the day... isn't that right boys?" he turned and flashed a no nonsense glare at his house mates "They both feel so guilty for almost having cost you your grade and chance to pass on into second year that they're going to stay out of our God damn way until at least 5pm"

Keiji grimaced and drooped his shoulders "...But I'll be quiet..." he started before Motochika clasped a strong hand on his shoulder

"Nothing for it Kei. We'll do as Masa Chan asks" he then turned to Yukimura and shot him a pitying stare "If only I could take you with us little one... unfortunately fate has landed you with this -" he gestured sharply at Masamune with his finger " - for the next few weeks. You have our condolences and sympathy. Stay strong. We're sure to meet again"

"Oh just piss off!" Masamune growled, flicking his cigarette stump towards his house mates before jerking his head at Yukimura "You coming or what?"

* * *

Yukimura perched nervously on the edge of the cluttered sofa and drank in his surroundings. The layout of the Date-Maeda-Chosokabe household was similar to the one that Yukimura shared with Sasuke and Kasuga, he figured it must be the standard type of student accommodation in the area. But his flat and the one he was currently seated in were miles apart in terms of décor and general cleanliness. Sasuke would have an absolute fit if he set eyes on this place...

"Sorry about the mess" Masamune's voice interrupted Yukimura's surveillance of the room, as if he could read his mind "I live with two animals as you are already aware" he added, turning his back towards Yukimura and busying himself in the kitchenette area of the room once more

"I-it's fine, I mean, it's a lovely apartment!" Yukimura choked out nervously. He hoped his voice sounded sincere enough, he didn't want Date San to think he was ungrateful for his help and current hospitality. To insult the boy's home would just be rude. His eyes wandered to the 'art' that adorned the walls; mostly pictures of big breasted girls provocatively holding some form of weapon or other or dangerously draped over various vehicles were the most popular decoration of choice. Next there were the beer mats that had been collected with much dedication over what looked like a number of years, making a somewhat impressive mural in the kitchen. His lips curled into a smile as he noticed a cluster of photographs depicting the three friends in various stages of sobriety... Keiji sporting oversized sunglasses and a fake moustache, holding a huge inflatable banana between his legs as an unidentified boy looked on in disgust, Masamune asleep in what appeared to be a shopping cart, Motochika posing like a Japanese schoolgirl with his shirt tied to expose his waist whilst a shadowed Masamune made crude hand gestures in the background... Despite the way Masamune had treated his house mates earlier, if those photographs were anything to go by, he certainly cared about them. They looked like they had so much fun together... it made Yukimura slightly envious that his University life was so different to this group of people. A pang of want suddenly cut through him, he wanted to experience the kind of life that these guys were used to. His gaze lingered on one photograph in particular; Masamune and Motochika either side of a pretty red head who had her arms wrapped around each boys neck...

"Liar"

Yukimura jumped as Masamune's voice rang out right next to his ear "Wh-what?!" he stuttered nervously, subconsciously rubbing his ear where the gravelly voice had just invaded

Masamune stared blankly at the kid for a few seconds before shrugging "Whatever floats your boat man. If this is your idea of a lovely apartment then I'd hate to see where you live!" he muttered, thrusting a steaming cup in Yukimura's direction who automatically accepted it and frowned slightly in confusion... he hadn't requested a drink nor had Date offered. Masamune's voice interrupted his thoughts once again "It's tea. You don't have to drink it. I made it for you without even thinking so leave it if you don't like it" the boy called over from the sofa gruffly

Yukimura smiled as he looked down into the pale brown clear liquid. It smelled wonderful "No, thank you Date San. I would be happy to drink it" he grinned warmly "It's not often that I drink tea, so this is certainly a treat!"

Masamune's eye narrowed as he watched the idiot smile into the bottom of his cup. What was with this kid? How could a simple cup of tea warrant such a reaction. Still... it was nice that someone finally knew how to appreciate his spectacular tea making skills...

Sasuke jumped slightly as the front door swung open as he was about to exit. A wretched looking Yukimura appeared from the other side and shuffled warily into the hallway "Welcome back, how did your tutoring go?" he asked his friend warmly "Woah, you stink of smoke!" he added, pinching his nose as Yukimura slumped past him

"... Sasuke... who invented the English language and why?" Yukimura droned painfully "I think that certain brains just aren't capable of holding more than one language! I'm never going to England! Why do I need to know English! Gaahhhh!" his desperate cry was muffled as he fell face first into the beanbag

Sasuke shook his head and caught Yukimura's recently removed jacket which he promptly hung on the back of the door "It went that well huh?"

"I should just give up now! I'm destined to fail!"

The older boy sighed as he removed his own coat and headed back into the living room to cheer up his closest friend. He felt bad for Yukimura, he truly did. The guy had a heart of gold, sheer determination and unmatchable skill on the playing field... it was just within the classroom that he struggled to keep his cheerful nature "Come on man, it can't be that bad? This Date guy supposedly ends his sentences in English, if anyone can help you it should be him right?"

Yukimura rolled off the beanbag and onto the floor to stare at the ceiling. "You're right Sasuke. Date San has already offered me so much of his help and guidance. It would be shameful of me to admit defeat so early on"

"See, that's the Yukimura I know!" Sasuke grinned "You'll be translating cheesy American soap operas for Kasuga in no time"

Yukimura turned his head to look up at his friend. All of a sudden the crazy lifestyle that Date and his friends seemed to live felt like a distant memory. He was happy with his life the way it was. No surprises. No mess. Just Sasuke making everything better once again "Thank you Sasuke..."

* * *

Masamune closed his eye, and rested the nape of his neck against the cool pillow. He exhaled slowly, feeling his body relax into the comfortable mattress, his back giving a satisfying click as he stretched out. Finally. Peace and quiet. His head buzzed with a dull ache, tutoring was harder than he had imagined it to be. He had severely overestimated Yukimura's skill, he had assumed that the boy would need two weeks worth of his help at the most, a little polish up of his grammar and tenses and he'd pass his exams with flying colours. But no. Yukimura couldn't even grasp basic sentence structure. He opened his eye slowly and stared blankly at the ceiling. At least the kid wasn't afraid of a little hard work, they had continuously worked up until 5pm, only stopping for the occasional tea or cigarette break. Despite the amount of mistakes the kid made, he never backed down, which Masamune was secretly grateful for. Being forced into helping someone who didn't have the drive to help themselves was something that Masamune found abhorrent; at least with Yukimura, despite his stupidity, Masamune knew that it would eventually pay off in the end. Hopefully.

_**Thank you for reading! Any reviews/favourites/follows make me ridiculously happy! Again sorry for the swears (bad Masamune)**_


	3. Chapter 3

"Not bad. Well it's still a fail, but a definite improvement from last week" Masamune nodded, handing a sheet of paper to Yukimura that looked like it had more red ink on it than answers "Keep it up" he added as he began rolling one of his seemingly endless cigarettes

Yukimura grimaced as he looked down at the page. Red was usually his favourite colour but at that moment he truly hated the sight of it "I appreciate the vote of confidence Date San..." he sighed wearily "But who am I kidding. I'm not only wasting my own time, but yours too. I can only apologise for -"

"Oi. It's fine. You are improving. I'm no bull shitter, if I thought for one second that this wasn't actually having some sort of effect I would have bailed before now" Masamune cut in, his eye still trained on the expertly rolled cigarette "Just chill out"

Yukimura felt his cheeks flush slightly at the roundabout praise from Masamune. This past week had seen the boy ease up a bit, his previous fowl temper had somewhat thawed and Yukimura found the whole process of his tutoring sessions to be less and less painful as time went on. Masamune had even allowed Keiji and Motochika back into their own home during their hours of study and Yukimura found that his initial feeling of friendship towards the two boys was true and the feeling was even reciprocated. He'd been invited to relax in Keiji's room during a study break on the third day; where Yukimura had quickly discovered the source of the big breasted lady art that adorned the entire flat. The rest of the room seemed to suit Keiji's personality down to the ground; bright, colourful and chaotic. Yesterday Motochika had called all boys into his bedroom for their opinion on a suspect stain on his carpet and whether it was noticeable or not. Yukimura had been more than surprised by the amount of books that lined Motochika's walls and the complicated blue prints and architectural plans that lay scattered across the large desk. He had half been expecting Motochika's room to be full of gym equipment with scantily clad women dotted around the place – it seemed as though the boy had brains as well as brawn. He had smiled when his eyes fell upon the bottle of rum that was stashed beneath his bed... that was more like it. In fact the only room that Yukimura had not yet seen was Masamune's. Whenever Date needed to collect a certain book or notes from his bedroom, he would do so himself, leaving Yukimura alone in the jungle that the three boys called their living room.

Yukimura's gaze wandered to the door that separated him from his new focus of curiosity. He tried to guess what kind of room the one eyed boy would have but then realised he couldn't even begin to comprehend something that was personal to Date Masamune. The guy was actually somewhat of an enigma; he had a handsome face and slight build, he was obviously clever and also had a party persona that Yukimura had yet to meet... but that was all he really knew about him. That and the fact that he had a volatile temper. He pursed his lips together in concentration as he thought about his own bedroom – would that reflect his own personality he wondered?

"What's with the pout?"

Yukimura blinked and turned to face Masamune, who was curiously watching him with a steely eye through a cloud of cigarette smoke "N-nothing... my mind was just wandering" Yukimura replied, embarrassed that he had been caught staring at Masamune's door

"You wondering what it's like?" Masamune asked, stumping out his cigarette and nodding towards his bedroom. The corner of his mouth formed into a wicked smirk as he enjoyed the flushed reaction on the kids face before him "You wanna get inside my bedroom Sanada Yukimura? How bold!"

Yukimura snapped his head down, his face burning with shame "N-no such thing!" he cried, his eyes screwed shut, completely shocked by the way Masamune had misunderstood him "Y-your personal space has nothing to do with me Date San – I would never be so bold as to -"

"Ask me"

Yukimura looked up in surprise "H-hah?!" he stuttered stupidly. What on earth was happening? Why was his heart suddenly beating so quickly?

Masamune smirked once more, his eye boring into Yukimura's "I said ask me. You want to get inside my bedroom that badly... so ask me?"

"I-I-I have no desire to intrude" Yukimura stuttered, his fingers flexing in agitation on his thighs. He glanced at Masamune quickly as the other boy began laughing loudly "Date San?"

Masamune shook his head as he looked at Yukimura "Man. You're too easy"

Yukimura shifted uncomfortably as Masamune continued to watch him. Why had he reacted like that? Why did Masamune's gaze pin him in such a way? It was as though Yukimura could actually feel that watchful stare, he had been alerted to it several times this week, a sudden heavy feeling that locked him in place. It was unnerving to say the least.

"Hey but seriously though... when you can ask me in perfect English, I'll let you see my bedroom. Deal?"

Yukimura cursed his flushed cheeks and inwardly cringed as his lips replied without his brain commanding them to do so "D-deal..."

* * *

Yukimura slowly strolled past the brightly lit shops. He had decided to wander around aimlessly before heading home, the long and intense study sessions were beginning to take their toll. He needed to do something that was active yet required zero brain power. It wouldn't be long until the semester finally ended and he could enjoy a well earned rest over the winter break. He stopped outside of a gift shop, the window display full of festive hampers, expensive liquor and tinned biscuits. He never understood why people went crazy for stuff like that around this time of year – it was the same thing that was available all year round except they put some fancy snowflakes on the packaging and charged extra for it. He was just about to continue his stroll when his eye fell on a familiar looking tin. He grinned stupidly and bounded quickly into the shop, and before he knew it he was looking down at his recently purchased tin of green tea that Date San favoured. His brow furrowed as he gazed down at the tin. What... why had he even...? He didn't even like tea that much! It wasn't the worst drink on the planet but he preferred sweeter beverages. Tea was just...tea! He pouted at his reflection in the window, secretly chastising the idiot staring back at him for blowing almost ¥2000 on a drink he wasn't even that fond of. He was overworked with all of this tutoring... that had to be it.

* * *

Masamune yawned loudly, flopping down on the couch next to Keiji who was once again entranced by yet another video game "Don't you ever get bored of just staring at a screen all day?" Masamune drawled through another yawn as he tried to force his eye open wider

"Nah, I just buy another one if I get bored" Keji shrugged "Them's are the perks of not having to worry about buying food for myself" he added proudly.

Masamune grimaced, remembering how empty his own wallet was these days. Man, he should be getting paid for this tutoring crap... "Yeah you could at least bring some of Matsu's cooking home with you. Your nearest and dearest companions are wasting away while your ass expands all over this couch"

Keiji shot a quick look of over exaggerated offence in his friends direction before pretending to cry loudly "Oi, what's he said now?" Motochika called from the kitchenette "Do I have to separate you both and send you to bed early?"

"Masa called me fat" Keiji whined, continuing to keep up the pretence

Motochika flopped down next to Masamune and precariously balanced his huge bowl of cereal on his chest "Well that's coz you are" he laughed, instantly high-fiving Masamune's upturned palm

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with a little junk in the trunk OK hunny?" Keiji retaliated "Anyway, my ass aside, it's nice to have you back dude" he added, nudging Masamune with his large shoulder "I guess Disney Kun's good nature is rubbing off on you"

"Hah?" Masamune sighed "What are you talking about?"

Motochika shifted position a little in order to eat his cereal more easily "He's right. You're certainly more relaxed these days. Either that or you have finally overcome the menopause"

"Yeah, I think that's definitely it. God I'm glad to see the last of those hot flushes and spontaneously pissing myself" Masamune joked. He hated to admit it but these two idiots were right; he had eased up recently. Tutoring Yukimura was hard work, but at the same time it felt rewarding. The kid would succeed if he kept his focus... and for some bizarre reason that Masamune simply could not comprehend at this point in time... he actually enjoyed the kids company.

* * *

Yukimura blinked in confusion at the drink placed down before him. It was the same old cup that Date always gave him and was shoved before him in the same 'I don't care if you want to drink it or not' manner that he had grown accustomed to. The only thing that was different was the unmistakable scent wafting from the steaming liquid "Ah! Coffee today?" Yukimura exclaimed happily "This certainly is a change" he smiled, gratefully lifting the cup to his lips "Thank you Date San!"

"Ah..." Masamune replied bluntly, his lip curled slightly as he sniffed his own drink "I'm fresh outta tea so our drinks will be courtesy of Chosokabe Kun for the time being. Just don't tell him that"

"Ah! Hold on one second Date San..." Yukimura replaced his cup and delved around inside his backpack "Here! Take this!" he smiled proudly, holding an expensive looking tin of tea in his hands

Masamune quirked an eyebrow as he accepted the tin and looked over it. He gave a low whistle as he read the content list "You sure about that? This is quality stuff" He added, his eye now wandering to meet Yukimura's "I didn't have you down as such a connoisseur". Again a strange satisfaction coursed through Masamune as he revelled in the furious blush that now covered Yukimura's entire face. It was kind of flattering that he obviously held so much influence over the boy. Not to say that he wasn't used to causing this kind of reaction, Masamune knew his charms and exactly how to use them – it just felt amusing using them against Yukimura for some reason.

"I-Im not really, I picked it up the other day..." Yukimura mumbled, his chin almost touching his chest as he tried to unsuccessfully hide his blushing cheeks

"Oh?" Masamune smirked, purposefully leaning his chin against his hand "And why was that?"

"Well... I don't know... I thought it may help me to remember better – you know, seeing as I always drink tea when I'm studying with you... I thought it might help when I'm revising alone... It didn't work so..." Yukimura trailed off awkwardly. What was he saying? Why wouldn't his lips just stop flapping? How on earth was such a ridiculous answer even plausible? In reality he had tried to drink some at home and had been laughed at by Sasuke in the process who had said that neither the flavour nor look suited Yukimura's personality... whatever that meant – it was just a drink for goodness sake! He looked up out of curiosity as Masamune laughed quietly

"Now you know why that is don't you?"

Yukimura simply frowned in confusion

Masamune leaned over the table and gave a wicked smirk that instantly transformed his face – he really was extremely good looking "It's because I didn't make it"

Yukimura blinked a few times, transfixed by the self confident smile and heavy gaze before him... it felt like he was being hypnotised... how did that one eye hold so much power?

"Ew! How can you make tea into something sleazy! My God! I feel violated even looking at the kettle now! Yukimura, step away from that bad man!"

Yukimura bit his bottom lip to stop himself from laughing at the look of immediate embarrassment that spread across Masamune's face – the flirtatious and arrogant smirk was now replaced by the usual mask of annoyance "Piss off!" he shouted dumbly, aiming a nearby book towards the doorway where Keiji stood laughing. The boy easily side stepped the flying University property and entered the room

"Whoops! Depth perception! You'll have to pay for that if you ruin it" he lectured playfully, instantly dropping to the ground next to Yukimura "So... apart from creepy drinking rituals, what are you guys up to?"

"Maeda San!" Yukimura smiled warmly "Still trying to learn English" he gestured to the obvious books spread out on the table that separated him from Masamune "Although I'm not sure how well that's working out"

"Oi, just call me Keiji, you make me feel like an old man when you call me Maeda San!" Keiji laughed as he quickly looked over Yukimura's notes "Hey, I see definite improvement – wow Masa, you actually are doing your job!"

Masamune gave an irritated sigh "Can we help you? When the fuck did you become head of the English department? I think I must have missed that announcement!"

"Psssh, I totally did English for like two semesters in my first year" Keiji replied, still looking over Yukimura's notes with an air of self importance

"Which first year, you've had about five haven't you?" Masamune retorted

"Oh meow!" Keiji grinned "I only came by to see what you're both doing later. Mo said that there is a group of the guys meeting up. So how about it Yukimura... wanna get shitfaced with us?"

"Oi, don't ask him things like that, I'm sure -"

"I'd love to!" Both Masamune and Keiji raised their eyebrows in surprise at Yukimura's enthusiasm. He didn't seem like the type to be easily swayed by such an invitation... especially seeing as said invitation contained the term "shitfaced". It somehow didn't suit him "I-if you don't mind that is...?" he trailed off awkwardly once more, instantly embarrassed by the way the two boys were watching him

"Of course it is! We want you there – right Masa?" Keiji cocked his head to one side and patiently waited for his friend to answer "Ahem... right Masa?" he repeated, his voice taking on a subtle harsh tone as he urged Masamune to answer

"Hah...? Yeah. Whatever." Masamune replied gruffly. He shot a wary gaze in Yukimura's direction, the boy now chatting excitedly with Keiji about their plans for later on that night. Masamune didn't know what to label that niggling feeling that was forming in the pit of his stomach... not that he hated the idea of socialising with Yukimura outside of the tutoring sessions, in fact it surprised Masamune how appealing that idea actually was.

* * *

"Huh? You're going drinking with Date and Chosokabe?" Kasuga repeated, her thin brows arched in surprise "Seriously?"

"Well they invited me... I kind of felt that I had to say yes" Yukimura replied. He was completely lying through his teeth. He had been absolutely thrilled when Keiji had invited him to join them later on – he would finally get to sample the crazy lifestyle of his new found friends instead of staying at home again – the most wild choice he usually had to make on a Friday night was whether to order food in or not.

"Where? At their flat?" the girl pressed, clearly amused by the mental imagery of her friendly yet somewhat boring house mate getting drunk with the University's most notorious bunch of trouble makers

Yukimura tied his lace tightly and straightened up "Yes, at least Maeda Sa – I mean - at least Keiji said to meet there... now I'm not sure. Do you think I look alright Kasuga?" he added, a look of worry spreading across his face as he looked down and his simple shirt and jeans

Kasuga suppressed a smile as well as the odd urge to hug the loveable idiot standing before her. How on earth he was ever going to find a girlfriend was completely beyond her – the guy was too sweet and naïve for his own good "It's not a date you're going on, it's a gross macho drinking session in a dingy student flat... you look fine" she added, realising she had yet to reassure him "I can't imagine that they go to anywhere exclusive anyway"

Yukimura looked down at his clothes once more before nodding. Kasuga knew what she was talking about. "Thank you Kasuga! If Sasuke asks where I am please let him know I have my key, see you later!" he waved excitedly as he brushed past the girl.

She smiled at her friend and watched him leave. Yep. He was too adorable for his own good. Those bastards had better look after him...

* * *

Masamune glared across the room at the pale boy who was chatting quietly with Mouri. Who the fuck had invited Ishida Mitsunari? He hated that arrogant fucker so much... he bet it was Motochika, that big prick must have realised it would be the only way Mouri would ever deem to grace this apartment with his amazing presence. Speaking of which he didn't care for the smaller boy either. That was definitely the corner to avoid tonight. He glanced hopefully towards the door as he heard Keiji welcome even more guests... this wasn't turning out to be a little gathering, it was more or less a full blown party at this point. He pushed down the feeling of disappointment as Tokugawa entered the room. Seriously, was there anyone who Keiji didn't invite, even Azai and that sullen faced emo girlfriend of his were here. He liked hardly any of these people! It was at times like this that he really missed Kojuro...

"Oi, cheer up Masa Chan. Yukimura will be here soon" Motochika teased as he sat next to his friend and handed him a drink

"The fuck you going on about now?" Masamune frowned "And why is that pasty bastard in my living room?!" he added none too quietly, jabbing a thumb in Mitsunari's direction "I thought there was a fucking ghost in the corner for a minute"

Motochika followed his friends gaze and gave a small smirk "Ah you know, he's not so bad..."

Masamune's face had a deadpan expression. He knew his friend wasn't looking in Ishida's direction, that one shiny blue eye of his was focused solely on the small brunette boy who was chatting to Mitsunari "Oh my God your man crush on Mouri is so gross, go and get him drunk already" He smirked in satisfaction as Motochika quickly tore his gaze away from the corner of the room in order to glare at Masamune

"Hah? I can't stand that little bastard! I just want a rematch for last time!"

Masamune closed his eye and gave a dramatic sigh "Ah that old chestnut. Everyone knows your drinking contests with him are just so you can rest assured he gets as wasted as you. You're such a sexual deviant. I'm putting locks on my door!" He laughed loudly at the indignant look that spread across Motochika's usually happy face

"Oh yeah! What about you! I've seen you watching that door for the past half hour! Waiting for your little kouhai to finally get here!"

Masamune laughed once again at his friends overly defensive behaviour "Hey come on, I can't help it if my seeing side is facing the door can I?"

"You can't use the one eye card on me remember!"

Masamune lost all interest in what Motochika had to say as soon as he heard the familiar knock on the door "I'll get it!" he called out to Keiji, immediately cutting across the room before his friend had the chance to even stand up.

* * *

Yukimura fidgeted awkwardly at the front door. He could hear many voices and music already coming from inside. He suddenly felt extremely nervous – what made him think that he could suddenly fit in to the party scene? He wanted to be at home on his comfortable beanbag watching some awful movie with Kasuga whilst Sasuke pretended to not be interested. He licked his lips quickly and turned on his heel. No. He wasn't ready for this... he couldn't even drink properly...

"Oi, Sanada Yukimura. Party's this way"

He glanced nervously over his shoulder to find Masamune curiously eyeing him from the now open door. He exhaled nervously as he took in Date's appearance – he looked effortlessly cool in his slim fitted jeans and snug jumper. Not that Date ever looked anything but cool... but the way he looked tonight made Yukimura feel even more self conscious... why had he believed Kasuga? Her idea of cool was Uesugi Sensei! That should have set alarm bells off in his head instantly! "H-hi Date San" he managed to shakily reply "I hope I'm not too late?" he added, suddenly feeling a desperate need to fill the awkward silence

Masamune gave a quiet laugh "Is that what you always do when you're late?"

Yukimura knitted his brows in confusion once more "Hah?"

"You stand with your back to the host?" Masamune pressed, still utterly confused as to why Yukimura was holding this bizarre conversation with him over his shoulder

"O-oh... haha. Sorry" Yukimura blushed and span around in the most manly way possible. His cheeks burned with shame as he followed Masamune through the door and into the unknown. He had realised too late that there was no manly way of spinning.

_**Thank you so much for reading! As always I absolutely love any reviews/favourites/follows. I hope you have enjoyed the story so far. BL is on the horizon, I can smell it :3**_


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